Two Republican Ohio lawmakers introduced a resolution to the Ohio House of Representatives to urge the United States Congress to preserve the United States Armed Forces’ dominance and increase military enlistment.
The Restoration of America’s Readiness (ROAR) Resolution, sponsored by State Representatives Jennifer Gross (pictured above, right) (R-West Chester) and Bernie Willis (R-Springfield) (pictured above, left), looks to express Ohio’s desire to Congress to preserve the United States Armed Forces’ authority globally and to encourage Ohioans to enlist in military service.
The resolution aims to call on the United States Congress to reinstate the superior war-fighting principles of the Department of Defense, which include hiring, assigning, training, promoting, and retaining troops only based on merit while ensuring that such employees uphold and demonstrate a warrior mentality.
Gross said that the United States Armed Forces needs to return to merit-based performance to obtain national security and prosperity for the next generation.
“Over the past several years, the Department of Defense and its military services have engaged in various practices that have eroded their war fighting principles. By returning again to the concept of merit and performance over person-centric identifiers, our national security and prosperity for the next generation can be obtained,” Gross said.
In 2021 President Joe Biden released Executive Order 14035, which created a government-wide initiative to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Gross told The Ohio Star that this executive order has drastically decreased the health of the U.S. Armed Forces and has negatively affected the nation’s military strength.
“Biden signed an executive order to emphasize DEI which has become an infection that has decreased the health of our armed services and affects our war fighting strength. DEI tells recruits our military has a problem with diversity and extremism. The truth is that our military is the shining star of color blindness and meritocracy but this WOKE agenda is affecting our recruitment efforts. American Heritage found that 65 percent of Active duty are concerned about the participation of our military in woke training programs and equity-minded reduced fitness standards which prevent our troops from placing their energy where it belongs which is on the defense of our nation,” Gross said.
According to Gross, the Biden Administration’s woke policies hurt Ohioans and discourage enlistment.
“Almost 7,700 Ohioans join the U.S. armed forces per year and wokeism will hurt Ohioans by discouraging enlistment and therefore eliminating one of the greatest benefits the military offers which is upward mobility through training and education and service to our state and nation,” Gross told The Star.
According to Gross, this resolution is another way for Ohio to lead the nation by example.
“Leading by example is an Ohio way of life. This resolution expresses our desire to preserve the United States Armed Forces’ worldwide dominance and is an effort to encourage Ohio’s best and brightest to answer the call to enlist in military service,” Gross said.
The ROAR Resolution will be given a committee assignment when the Ohio House returns in September.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Jennifer Gross” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 3.0.
